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Home , Maryam (surah), Mary in Islam, Saint Anne

TALK TOOLKIT — Delivering Lectures with Purpose Mary in : Celebrating the Mother of TALK TOOLKIT : Celebrating the Mother of Jesus

In the name of , the Most Merciful, the Grantor of Mercy.

From among the countless billions of women who have walked this planet and breathed its oxygen, only one had a chapter named after her in Allah’s final revelation, the . Only one had her name repeated in that Quran an unmatched 34 times. Only one had herself a remarkable birth, then gave birth to her own child in a unique and miraculous way. This was the wondrous (peace be upon her), whose story of profound faith and virtue the included ﷺ Quran confirms and immortalizes. In an authentic , the her in the elite company of those who perfected their faith [Bukhārī and Muslim].

Not only is Maryam a very special woman, but the Quran positions her and Āsiya as such exemplars in their conviction that the name “believer” in Islam is undeserved for anyone—man or woman—who does not recognize their esteemed status as archetypes of faith. Allah says,

َو َﺿ َﺮ َب َاﻟﻠ ُﻪ َﻣ َﺜ ًﻼ ِﻟ َﻠ ِﺬ َﻳﻦ َآﻣ ُﻨﻮا ْاﻣ َﺮ ٔا َت ِﻓ ْﺮ َﻋ ْﻮ َن إ ْذ َﻗ َﺎﻟ ْﺖ َر ِب ْاﺑ ِﻦ ِﻟﻲ ِﻋ َﻨﺪ َك َﺑ ْﻴ ًﺘﺎ ِﻓﻲ ْاﻟ َﺠ َﻨ ِﺔ َو َﻧ ِﺠ ِﻨﻲ ِﻣﻦ ِﻓ ْﺮ َﻋ ْﻮ َن َو َﻋ َﻤ ِﻠ ِﻪ َو َﻧ ِﺠ ِﻨﻲ ِﻣ َﻦ ْاﻟ َﻘ ْﻮ ِم َاﻟﻈ ِﺎﻟ ِﻤ َﻴﻦ * َو َﻣ ْﺮ َﻳ َﻢ ْاﺑ َﻨ َﺖ ِﻋ ْﻤ َﺮ َان َاﻟ ِﺘﻲ ٔا ْﺣ َﺼ َﻨ ْﺖ َﻓ ْﺮ َﺟ َﻬﺎ َﻓ َﻨ َﻔ ْﺨ َﻨﺎ ِﻓ ِﻴﻪ ِﻣﻦ ُر ِوﺣ َﻨﺎ َو َﺻ َﺪ َﻗ ْﺖ ِﺑ َﻜ ِﻠ َﻤ ِﺎت َر ِﺑ َﻬﺎ َو ُﻛ ُﺘ ِﺒ ِﻪ َو َﻛ َﺎﻧ ْﺖ ِﻣ َﻦ ْاﻟ َﻘ ِﺎﻧ ِﺘ َﻴﻦ And illustrates an example of those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, “My Lord, build for me, with You, a house in , and save me from Pharaoh and his works, and save me from the oppressive people". And Mary, the daughter of ʿImrān, who guarded her chastity, and so We breathed into her of Our Spirit; and she believed in the truth of her Lord’s Words and His Books, and was one of the devout. {66: 11-12}

When it comes to Maryam in particular, some scholars like Ibn Ḥazm (d. 1064) even went as far as championing that she was a prophet of God, since she would personally communicate with the according to the Quran. In any case, this woman had a very special place in

1 the sight of Allah, and hence it’s so important for a Muslim to frequently rehearse her virtues, and quench one’s thirst for guidance from the fountain of her story.

The Relevance of Maryam 

The similarity between her times and ours makes the example of Maryam  so relevant. Consider the circumstances of her culture, the latter generations of the whose faith was in shambles, and whose regard for religion had greatly deteriorated. She was born into a world riddled with disbelief, who would reject God’s signs and dismiss His guidance, much like our secular times today. None of this phased Maryam ; she stood unwavering in her faith even when the world mocked her beliefs, a torchbearer of certainty in the abyss of doubts. Hence, Allah praised her specifically as “an example strikes for those who believe” in the earlier verse. He did not say for the patient, or for the women—though she was all of that—but it was the solid belief in the One True God without partners that defined her legacy above all else.

Consider also the moral disintegration of some of the latter Israelites, whom we know from the .used to mock  for refusing to bathe in public as they did ﷺ Prophet Muhammad They even spread rumors about him having a skin disorder or scrotal hernia; a ploy of reverse psychology to pressure Moses into conforming, and to sedate their feelings of shamelessness for their indecent exposure. But Moses remained committed to his modesty, until God cleared his name by having a rock run off with his clothes as he bathed privately—displaying before all his superior physique as he chased it down [Bukhārī]. Allah says about this incident,

َﻳﺎ ٔا ُﻳ َﻬﺎ َاﻟ ِﺬ َﻳﻦ َآﻣ ُﻨﻮا َﻻ َﺗ ُﻜ ُﻮﻧﻮا َﻛ َﺎﻟ ِﺬ َﻳﻦ َآذ ْوا ُﻣ َﻮﺳ ٰﻰ َﻓ َﺒ َﺮ ٔا ُه َاﻟﻠ ُﻪ ِﻣ َﻤﺎ َﻗ ُﺎﻟﻮا ۚ َو َﻛ َﺎن ِﻋ َﻨﺪ َاﻟﻠ ِﻪ َو ِﺟ ًﻴﻬﺎ O you who have believed, do not be like those who abused Moses; but God cleared him of what they said. And he (Moses) was distinguished with God. {33:69}

It was in this hypersexualized climate that Maryam lived, but her modesty never eroded and the acts of indecency never became normalized in her heart. Hence, Allah celebrates in that verse how she “guarded her chastity” because everywhere she turned, just like in our times, social conditioning had stripped the people of that virtue. But not Maryam, and not those who recite and reflect on her story in God’s words.

2 The Family of Maryam 

إ َن َاﻟﻠ َﻪ ْاﺻ َﻄ َﻔ ٰﻰ َآد َم َو ُﻧ ًﻮﺣﺎ َو َآل إ ْﺑ َﺮ ِاﻫ َﻴﻢ َو َآل ِﻋ ْﻤ َﺮ َان َﻋ َﻠﻰ ْاﻟ َﻌ َﺎﻟ ِﻤ َﻴﻦ * ُذ ِر َﻳ ًﺔ َﺑ ْﻌ ُﻀ َﻬﺎ ِﻣﻦ َﺑ ْﻌ ٍﺾ God esteemed , and , and the family of , and the family of ‘Imrān, over all mankind; offspring one of the other… {3:33-34}

From the line of Adam, God chose Noah. From the line of Noah, God chose the family of Abraham. From the line of Abraham, through then , God chose the family of ‘Imrān —all as the greatest of humanity in their respective times. The wife of ‘Imrān was Ḥannah, known in English as Anne, a pious woman who never had a child and deeply longed for one. Historians mention that on one particular day, she witnessed a bird placing food in her chicks’ mouths, at which point her heart broke and drove her to earnestly appeal to God for the blessings of motherhood. She soon discovered that her prayer was answered and she was finally pregnant. Allah says,

إ ْذ َﻗ َﺎﻟ ِﺖ ْاﻣ َﺮ ٔا ُت ِﻋ ْﻤ َﺮ َان َر ِب إ ِﻧﻲ َﻧ َﺬ ْر ُت َﻟ َﻚ َﻣﺎ ِﻓﻲ َﺑ ْﻄ ِﻨﻲ ُﻣ َﺤ َﺮ ًرا َﻓ َﺘ َﻘ َﺒ ْﻞ ِﻣ ِﻨﻲ ۖ إﻧَﻚَ ٔا َﻧﺖ َاﻟﺴ ِﻤ ُﻴﻊ ْاﻟ َﻌ ِﻠ ُﻴﻢ * َﻓ َﻠ َﻤﺎ َو َﺿ َﻌ ْﺘ َﻬﺎ َﻗ َﺎﻟ ْﺖ َر ِب إ ِﻧﻲ َو َﺿ ْﻌ ُﺘ َﻬﺎ ٔا َﻧﺜ ٰﻰ َو َاﻟﻠ ُﻪ ٔا ْﻋ َﻠ ُﻢ ِﺑ َﻤﺎ َو َﺿ َﻌ ْﺖ َو َﻟ ْﻴ َﺲ َاﻟﺬ َﻛ ُﺮ َﻛ ْ ٔﺎﻻ َﻧﺜ ٰﻰ ۖ َوإ ِﻧﻲ َﺳ َﻤ ْﻴ ُﺘ َﻬﺎ َﻣ ْﺮ َﻳ َﻢ َوإﻧِﻲ ٔا ِﻋ ُﻴﺬ َﻫﺎ ِﺑ َﻚ َو ُذ ِر َﻳ َﺘ َﻬﺎ ِﻣ َﻦ َاﻟﺸ ْﻴ َﻄ ِﺎن َاﻟﺮ ِﺟ ِﻴﻢ The wife of ‘Imrān said, “My Lord, I have vowed to You what is in my womb, liberated [from all other preoccupations], so accept from me; You are the Hearer and Knower.” But when she delivered her, she said, “My Lord, I have delivered a female”—and God was well aware of what she has delivered—“and the male is not like the female, and I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge with You, for her and her offspring, from the outcast.” {3:35-36}

said, “There is no ﷺ In an authentic hadith, Abu Hurayra  narrates that the Prophet newborn except except that Shaytan pokes them in their side, causing them to scream at birth, except Mary and her son” [Bukhārī]. After narrating this hadith, Abu Hurayra would recite to people that Quranic verse, highlighting how the prayer of Maryam’s mother is what armored them against this envious assault that Satan repeats with every child of Adam. So this is how Maryam emerged to the world: remarkably peaceful and tranquil.

3 But how would Ḥannah now uphold her vow, when “the male is not like the female”, meaning it was customary that only men dedicated themselves to al-Masjid al-Aqsa—the holy house of worship in ? Signs kept surfacing that Maryam was no ordinary child, which led to the scribes of the Tawrā competing for the honor of mentoring her. It was an extraordinary scene folded away in human history, but Allah chose to immortalize it in the Quran:

ۚ َٰذ ِﻟ َﻚ ِﻣ ْﻦ ٔا َﻧﺒ ِﺎء ْاﻟ َﻐ ْﻴ ِﺐ ُﻧ ِﻮﺣ ِﻴﻪ إ َﻟ ْﻴ َﻚ َو َﻣﺎ ُﻛ َﻨﺖ َﻟ َﺪ ْﻳ ِﻬ ْﻢ إ ْذ ُﻳ ْﻠ ُﻘ َﻮن ٔا ْﻗ َﻼ َﻣ ُﻬ ْﻢ ٔا ُﻳ ُﻬ ْﻢ َﻳ ْﻜ ُﻔ ُﻞ َﻣ ْﺮ َﻳ َﻢ َو َﻣﺎ ُﻛ َﻨﺖ َﻟ َﺪ ْﻳ ِﻬ ْﻢ إ ذْ َﻳ ْﺨ َﺘ ِﺼ ُﻤ َﻮن These are accounts from the Unseen, which We reveal to you. You were not with them when they cast their lots as to which of them would take charge of Mary; nor were you with them as they quarreled. {3:44}

Historians gather that these scholars of scripture cast their pens into the Jordanian river, agreeing that whoever’s pen does not float away will be the caretaker of Maryam. After casting their lots, it became clear that Allah wished that not just any religious scholar would suffice for Maryam, but the one among them who was himself a prophet of God: Zakariyyā . Allah says,

َﻓ َﺘ َﻘ َﺒ َﻠ َﻬﺎ َر ُﺑ َﻬﺎ ِﺑ َﻘ ُﺒ ٍﻮل َﺣ َﺴ ٍﻦ َو ٔا َﻧﺒ َﺘ َﻬﺎ َﻧ َﺒ ًﺎﺗﺎ َﺣ َﺴ ًﻨﺎ َو َﻛ َﻔ َﻠ َﻬﺎ َز َﻛ ِﺮ َﻳﺎ Her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance, and granted her a beautiful upbringing, and entrusted her to the care of Zechariah. {3: 37}

In the shade of Prophet Zakariyyā she grew and learned the sacred science of devotion. Only he had the keys to her chamber, and this very privilege is what allowed him to not only serve her, but at times learn from his young apprentice! The verse continues,

ُﻛ َﻠ َﻤﺎ َد َﺧ َﻞ َﻋ َﻠ ْﻴ َﻬﺎ َز َﻛ ِﺮ َﻳﺎ ْاﻟ ِﻤ ْﺤ َﺮ َاب َو َﺟ َﺪ ِﻋ َﻨﺪ َﻫﺎ ِر ْز ًﻗﺎ ۖ َﻗ َﺎل َﻳﺎ َﻣ ْﺮ َﻳ ُﻢ ٔا َﻧ ٰﻰ َﻟ ِﻚ َٰﻫ َﺬا ۖ َﻗ َﺎﻟ ْﺖ ُﻫ َﻮ ِﻣ ْﻦ ِﻋ ِﻨﺪ َاﻟﻠ ِﻪ ۖ إ َن َاﻟﻠ َﻪ َﻳ ْﺮ ُز ُق َﻣﻦ َﻳ َﺸ ُﺎء ِﺑ َﻐ ْﻴ ِﺮ ِﺣ َﺴ ٍﺎب Whenever Zechariah entered upon her in the sanctuary, he found her with provision. He said, “O Mary, where did you get this from?” She said, “It is from God; God provides to whom He wills without reckoning.” {3: 37}

4 It was reported that when Zakariyyā would enter her quarters, he would find food there he did not bring. Furthermore, he would find summer fruits in the winter, and winter fruits in the summer. Maryam would remind him not to calculate when it comes to God’s grace, and the next verse describes how it was at that point Zakariyyā called out to his Lord for a child, dismissing the factor of his old age and his wife’s infertility. And it was then that God blessed them with Yaḥyā, or John.

The Height of Maryam’s Story

Allah tells us to recall it, so let us ponder over it uninterrupted:

“And mention in the Scripture Mary, when she withdrew from her people to an eastern location. She screened herself away from them, and We sent to her Our spirit, and He appeared to her as an immaculate human. She said, “I take refuge from you in the Most Merciful, should you be righteous.” He said, “I am only the messenger of your Lord, to give you the gift of a pure son.” She said, “How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, and I was never unchaste?” He said, “Thus said your Lord, 'It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign for humanity, and a mercy from Us. It is a matter already decided.'” So she carried him, and secluded herself with him in a remote place. Then the labor-pains drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree. She said, “I wish I had died before this, and been completely forgotten.” Whereupon he called her from beneath her: “Do not worry; your Lord has placed a stream beneath you. And shake the trunk of the palm-tree towards you, and it will drop ripe dates by you.” “So eat, and drink, and be consoled. And if you see any human, say, ‘I have vowed a fast to the Most Gracious, so I will not speak to any human today.'” Then she came to her people, carrying him. They said, “O Mary, you have done something terrible. O sister of , your father was not an evil man, and your mother was not unchaste.” So she pointed to him. They said, “How can we speak to an infant in the cradle?” He said, “I am the servant of God. He has given me the Scripture, and made me a prophet. And has made me blessed wherever I may be; and has enjoined on me prayer and charity, so long as I live. And to be kind to my mother, and He did not make me a disobedient rebel. And peace be upon me the day I was born, and the day I will die, and the Day I get resurrected alive.” That is Jesus son of Mary— the Word of truth about which they dispute. It is not for God to have a child—glory be to Him.

5 To have anything done, He merely says to it, “Be,” and it becomes. Jesus continued to say, “God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path.” {19:16-36}

There is so much to learn from this single day in the life of Maryam , such as clarifying that the is in fact the , who carried the message of God but was not himself one with God. It also reiterates how the central message of Jesus  was delivering people to God, not himself, through his teachings and example. But let us conclude with two powerful lessons from Maryam  herself.

Maryam was instructed to shake the palm tree towards her, a profound lesson in doing your part while relying on God. After all, even the strongest men do not shake palm trees to bring down their fruits, let alone a woman moments after giving birth. Here, Allah was teaching us all a lesson that engaging our reality is an inseparable part of reliance on Allah who is al-Ḥaqq (the Ultimate Reality). Imam Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal was once told that a group of people never leave the , claiming they have placed their full trust in God to provide for them. The great jurist said, “Such people have no trace of knowledge; did they not recite Allah’s words to Maryam, ‘shake towards you the trunk of the palm tree’?”

Maryam  witnessed a powerful miracle—Jesus  speaking in infancy—and that was sufficient for her to dispel the anxiety she felt, and remind her that God was there to bolster her. Hours later, her people witnessed Jesus speaking from the cradle, but they soon thereafter turned away and disbelieved. Here, Allah reminds us that proofs are useless for people not willing to believe. Maryam sought faith, while her people sought doubt. And just as blind faith is imprudent, stubborn rejection can blind a person into faithlessness and destruction. As Allah said,

َو ُﻧ َﻘ ِﻠ ُﺐ ٔا ْﻓ ِﺌ َﺪ َﺗ ُﻬ ْﻢ َو ٔا ْﺑ َﺼ َﺎر ُﻫ ْﻢ َﻛ َﻤﺎ َﻟ ْﻢ ُﻳ ٔﻮ ِﻣ ُﻨﻮا ِﺑ ِﻪ ٔا َو َل َﻣ َﺮ ٍة َو َﻧ َﺬ ُر ُﻫ ْﻢ ِﻓﻲ ُﻃ ْﻐ َﻴ ِﺎﻧ ِﻬ ْﻢ َﻳ ْﻌ َﻤ ُﻬ َﻮن And We turn away their hearts and their visions, as they refused to believe in it the first time, and We leave them wandering in their rebellion. {6:110}

َو َﻟ ْﻮ َﻓ َﺘ ْﺤ َﻨﺎ َﻋ َﻠ ْﻴ ِﻬﻢ َﺑ ًﺎﺑﺎ ِﻣ َﻦ َاﻟﺴ َﻤ ِﺎء َﻓ َﻈ ُﻠﻮا ِﻓ ِﻴﻪ َﻳ ْﻌ ُﺮ ُﺟ َﻮن * َﻟ َﻘ ُﺎﻟﻮا إ َﻧ َﻤﺎ ُﺳ ِﻜ َﺮ ْت ٔا ْﺑ َﺼ ُﺎر َﻧﺎ َﺑ ْﻞ َﻧ ْﺤ ُﻦ َﻗ ْﻮ ٌم َﻣ ْﺴ ُﺤ ُﻮر َون Even if We opened for them a gateway into the sky, and they began to ascend through it, they would still say, “Our eyes are hallucinating; in fact, we are people bewitched.” {15:14-15}

6 We ask Allah to further honor Mary in this world and the next, our mother in faith and modesty. We ask Him for faith that does not waver, even if the world may doubt. We ask Him for modesty that dignifies us, even if the world turns shameless. We ask Him to fill our hearts with genuine love for Him and the righteous through time. We ask Him to bolster our weakness through their example, and our conviction in light of theirs. We ask Him to grant us a drive for guidance that overcomes whatever may hinder us from it. We ask Him to protect us from swerving from the straight path due to ignorance or arrogance, and grant us His grace to compensate for our weak attempts at righteousness. Ameen.

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